Some Great Site Updates – September 2014
I have some great site updates to share with you. As you will notice in the sidebar, there are two new covers for the published novels. I think they look much better.
If you navigate through the buttons on the menu bar, you’ll see some new entries. There is a Media Kit for each published book, including author bio, author interview, reviews, and more.
Now, for the piece that I am most pleased with. With each book there is a Guide for Parents.
- The Witch Queens – Guide for Parents
- Crown of the Dreamer – Guide for Parents
As the Hidden History novels are intended for ages 10 and up, I felt it was important to provide a guide for the parents so that they are aware of what is in the novel.
Lions, and tigers, and bears…or at least tigers and bears (Kalidah)
Kalidahs, illustrated by W.W. Denslow, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel.
The Kalidah is the most ferocious and feared predator in the Land of Oz. We first read about Kalidahs in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel. The Kalidah has the head of a tiger, the front paws and body of a bear, and the rear legs of a tiger. But what would a Kalidah look like in real life? How would the features of these two fearsome predators look? (more…)
Who needs heroes? (I do)
In previous posts, we discussed villains and heroes. Now we come to a more personal question. Who needs heroes?
This question drives my writing and my explorations into character.
I am flawed. I struggle. I move forward a little bit, and then I fall. I get tired. It’s hard to get up and continue. What do I need to go on? Pretty much, I just need a hero to look to. (more…)
What makes a Hero?
Aslan, from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
A hero is someone that inspires hope. A hero stands in contrast to a villain, who inspires hopelessness. Villains are explored in a previous post.
Based on this simple definition, the hero type can be broken down into several categories. This post contains short videos that I believe demonstrate the aspects of heroism that I look for in my characters.
There are many real-life examples of heroes. This post is limited to fictional heroes and heroic qualities that I find inspiring.
Everyday hero
These everyday heroes may not change the world, but they can change your world.
Consider Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie (1978). (more…)
What makes a villain?
Alien vs. Darth Vader. Image courtesy TheForce.net discussion boards.
A good villain is the embodiment of that which makes you feel helpless.
With that in mind, three types of villains emerge:
Inhuman forces of nature
Shadows and hordes
Inhuman forces of nature that run rampant are always scary. A few examples include: (more…)
The Colors of the Writing Rainbow
On the topic of writing, there are countless ways to do it right. There are lessons that speak to the individual, and there are lessons that guide the individual to become one of the faceless many. There are mythic lessons, and there are contemporary lessons. One of my favorite types of writing lessons is the acronym lesson. Where ROYGBIV denotes the colors of the rainbow, it also outlines the characteristics that a writer should embody. This remembered lesson from high school is a testament to the enduring power of a teacher’s passion.
As time pushes on, as the months and years pass by and life navigates its twists and turns, the things we learned in school sometimes blur into the trees and promontories of the background.
We might remember our first date, our best friend from school, we may recall, painfully, feelings of rejection and loneliness, moments of ridicule.
But how many in-class lessons do we remember? Can we remember anything pertinent our 8th-grade algebra teacher taught us? (Well, surely, Marc Kuslanski can!) How about 10th-grade history or chemistry? Sadly, so much is lost, often irretrievably so. But some lessons endure. Some remain vibrant and alive, decades later.
For me, one such lesson occurred one sunny spring day in English class when I was a freshman in high school. The teacher, a large, balding man with a soft voice, was a writer at heart, and sometimes, seemingly at random, he would…
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Five songs that inspired Oz
Day after day the endless flow powers the clockwork machinery. Music flows through the gears of creativity, inspiring great stories. Picture courtesy of Pinterest (credit: The Time Machine, by Dmitriy Filippov)
Music goes hand in hand with creativity like applesauce goes with pancakes. Every author has their own music that they depend on when they build their worlds. Here is a glimpse into a few of the songs that inspired The Hidden History of Oz series, and what makes them so great. (more…)
Three Witch Wars that Nearly Destroyed the Land of Oz
The Witches arrogantly abused their borrowed power and destroyed the seas in Oz.
The Hidden History of Oz is one of transplant colonization, expansion, trade, and war. In short, it is a history like any other land. The difference in Oz is that there are points in the history where the Witches – the keepers of knowledge – allow that power to corrupt their responsibility to protect. They betray that power to conquer and divide the land.
In the history of Oz, there have been two Witch Wars. The Third Witch War begins in The Hidden History of Oz, Book One: The Witch Queens. What, exactly, are the Witch Wars? And how do they differ from other wars? (more…)
Designing the future (games of 2020)
An origami dragon. Courtesy google image search.
While reviewing some of my past creative work today, I came across a game design document I wrote in 2009.
I was still a student, and the contest was a limited-time entry only. With just a few days before the deadline, I brainstormed what I thought would be a fascinating game and digital world. A large part of this document relies on technology that isn’t quite there yet. (Think back to how much less-there the technology was four years ago!)
In designing Paper Planes, a Massive Online Community of digital origami, I combined three things: digital technology just beyond our reach, the infinite creativity of the human mind, and origami, which fascinated me as a child. Consider the artistic landscape – if there were no limitations to digital folding or paper craftsmanship, what could you create? (more…)
A Smashing Good Time – the Wicked Witch of the West
Few villains are as iconic as Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939). Is it the green skin, the archetypal witch’s nose, or the wide-brimmed black hat that makes her so memorable? Maybe her screeching voice is what sticks in your memory. The Wicked Witch of the West has had multiple incarnations in the 100+ years since L. Frank Baum first published his novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Many additional authors have written about this witch. We will explore the four primary versions of the Wicked Witch of the West. These versions are:
- The Wicked Witch of the West, from The Wizard of Oz (film, MGM, 1939).
- Elphaba, from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West.
Note: This is the original version of the character made famous in the Broadway musical, Wicked. - The Wicked Witch of the West, from L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
- Ondri-baba, from Tarl Telford’s Hidden History of Oz books.
What makes each of these versions different? Who is the Wicked Witch of the West, anyway? (more…)
Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling as Image Macros
Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling have helped me find greater depth and meaning as I have developed my stories. Here are all 22 rules illustrated with scenes from Pixar movies and shorts.
Back in 2011, then Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats (now freelancing) tweeted 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar. Coats learned the ‘guidelines’ from senior colleagues on how to create appealing stories, tweeting the nuggets of wisdom over a 6 week period.
Last week, artist and User Experience Director at Visceral Games (a subsidiary of Electronic Arts), Dino Ignacio, created a series of image macros of the 22 rules and posted them to Imgur and Reddit.
Below you will find the list of image macros along with a text summary of Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling at the end of the post. Enjoy!
[Sources: Emma Coats, Dino Ignacio, The Pixar Touch]
1.
Image Macro by Dino Ignacio | @DinoIgnacio
2.
Image Macro by Dino Ignacio | @DinoIgnacio
3.
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Glinda sketches
Glinda sketch by Tarl Telford
I have been brainstorming Oz stories for about five years now. This includes visual brainstorms and concept art for the eventual graphic novels of some Hidden History of Oz stories. To give an idea of some of the character development over the last two years, I thought I would start with the hero – Glinda.
Glinda is the teenage daughter of the most powerful sorceress in Oz. Through a series of tantrum-inspired events, Glinda becomes an orphan on the run from the Wicked Witches. (See The Witch Queens novel for full details.)
Glinda with princess dress, by Tarl Telford
Glinda face and hair concepts, by Tarl Telford
These are the first sketches in the concept art category. There will doubtless be many more. For more of my artwork, you can visit my deviantart gallery. I am beginning to share some of my artwork again.
For reference purposes, here is a public domain illustration of Glinda from one of Baum’s books, Glinda of Oz. This is Glinda approximately 60 years after HH1: The Witch Queens. She learned the secret to aging well. You’ll just have to read the book and find out what it is.
The portrait of Glinda the Good appearing in Glinda of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Do you want to see more concept art for The Hidden History of Oz characters and places? Let me know in the comments below.
An Oz where dreams change the world
With the announcement of a fourth Oz-inspired TV series, there are a lot of people on the interwebs that are justifiably annoyed. Why take a classic tale and re-spin it again and again? Simple answer – it’s the 75th Anniversary of the MGM Wizard of Oz movie (1939) and Warner Bros. owns the rights.
With all of these versions of Oz done wrong, where are the versions of Oz done right? Where is the land that Baum built? (more…)
Liberty for all
Oscar Diggs, also known as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, has one primary concern – liberty for all. What is liberty, and why is it so important to him?
Liberty is freedom to act, to choose your own destiny, to make decisions based on what you determine is right. Liberty is the opposite of tyranny. Liberty frees a man to become what he was born to become. Tyranny takes a man and binds him to what an all-powerful ruler determines that he should become. For Oscar, and for those who truly want to determine their own destiny, the choice is clear. (more…)
Teaser: Crown of the Dreamer back cover
The Hidden History of Oz, Book Two: Crown of the Dreamer is complete. It will very shortly be available for sale on Amazon. In the meantime, here is a brief teaser to get your appetite whetted for the continuing adventures of Glinda, Oscar, and the whole Hidden History of Oz cast. (more…)
Inspired by Oz? Pin here
Glinda the Good, the teenage sorceress in The Hidden History of Oz series
Inspiration comes in many forms. For me, I think in story. A picture is worth a thousand words, true, and the best pictures also evoke a story. Take the picture here, for example. This is Glinda. She looks out to the setting sun, wondering what future will come, for it is her and her alone that holds the destiny of the Land of Oz in her hands.
Oz is a real place, full of wonder and breathtaking beauty. Much of the land is based on real places. There are corners of Oz unexplored in Baum’s books, but why do even the explored corners need to be a mystery? I say we find them and display them. (more…)
Zombies in Oz
A Wheeler, from Return to Oz
The ill-fated kickstarter campaign for Ozombie (sponsored by the creators of American McGee’s Alice) notwithstanding, have you ever wondered if there could be zombies in Oz?
I assure you, dear reader, that such a thing can be, but not in the way that you might expect. It requires dark magic, a witch’s blood, and a mechanical construct powered by the magic of the brick roads. Intrigued? (more…)
Teaser: Crown of the Dreamer
The Hidden History of Oz, Book Two: Crown of the Dreamer is nearing completion. It is in the proofreading phase right now. I am very excited to share it with you. Every day brings the manuscript closer and closer to your hands. The story is just about ready to take off and make some magic.
Here is a teaser for the cover in-progress:
I anticipate that it will be available for purchase in September on Amazon, in both paperback and Kindle versions. Other digital formats will soon follow. In the meantime, if you haven’t picked up a copy of The Hidden History of Oz, Book One: The Witch Queens, now would be a great time to dive into the mysterious history of Glinda and Oscar Diggs. You can find the book on both Amazon, and Smashwords.
A Cover Story – The Witch Queens
On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, I received some fine compliments on the cover to The Hidden History of Oz, Book One: The Witch Queens. I was a guest on the second hour of Whispers in the Dark (download the podcast, it’s free). Right at the end, several people commented what a great cover the book has. They were talking, I wanted to say thanks, because it is my work, after all, but didn’t get a chance before the live feed ended.
So here is my chance. The cover is good because I put a lot of work into it. Here you’ll get a glimpse inside my thought process as I planned out the cover.
This is the first of many behind-the-scenes posts where I detail my thoughts and process as I built this book from the ground up. Everything, from the front cover image, to the words on the page, to the imprint logo on the spine, was designed by Tarl Telford, me. It was a lot of fun, and I’m proud of the finished product.
Let me pull back the curtain so you can see some of my process…
New Category: The Man Behind the Curtain
Do you like behind the scenes commentary, concept art, and witty anecdotes from your favorite stories? I do. My shelves are lined with concept art books from movies – from Star Wars, to Pixar’s The Incredibles, to The Dark Crystal. My favorite part of the movies and the stories is all of the imagination that goes in to making it. When the sketches are rough, the final product can be anything – at that moment, the rough sketch is completely powered by imagination.
It is for this purpose that I am introducing a new category to this blog: The Man Behind the Curtain. Of course you understand the reference. The Wizard was controlling the various disguises from behind the curtain. He was revealed as a humbug in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel.
Humbug is not my aspiration, rather, I want you to see what I see. Ideas come, sketches are scribbled, and drafts are written. Only at the end does it look inevitable. Of course it was meant to be that way.
So when you see the category: The Man Behind the Curtain, just know that it is a behind the scenes glimpse of my creative process.
What are some of your favorite movies or books to glimpse behind the curtain?
The Hidden History of Oz 